that is shockingly bad for flow2. Really bad. I wonder what plumelabs reaction is in regards to these reports at aqmd.gov. Return it while you can!
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āReturn it while you canā¦ā
Thanks, I have until early October. Likely will.
Liking the AtmoTube Pro, IQAir AiVvisual Pro, or even thinking Purple Air. Main purpose would be checking indoor AQ.
The Flow 2 just is not accurate, at least on PM.
High PM 2.5 reading on local sensors are 130-140 ug/m3. Flow is about 50 ug/m3.
Lowrer PM 2.5 reading have been 16 or 33 for two different time, where Flow 2 reads mostly 2 ug/m3 all the time for the lower PM 2.5
From the South Coast Air District report for Flow 2, āā¦the Flow 2 sensors showed no to very weak correlationsā¦ā for NO2, PM1, PM2.5ā¦. (compared with the Air District Field Sensors)
I did not even comment on the PM10, there was no correlation at all, but it seems many of these PM10 sensors have more problems that PM1 or PM2.5
Iāve pretty much decided to return the Flow 2. It just did not read at all accurately. When air quality was good to moderate for PM2.5, the Flow read the same, pretty much stuck at 2 where five other sensors read 15 or 30 ug/m3. (This was for two different times.) And when the air quality became poor at 130-140 for other sensors nearby, the Flow 2 read around 50 ug/m3. As South Coast Air District says: āthe Flow 2 sensors (they tested three) showed no to very weak correlationsā¦ā
I had my eyes on two others the Atomtube Pro and the AirVisual Pro. The Atmotube Pro has a nice variety of sensors, and is $20 cheaper (at $179 or even less) than the Flow 2. The Atmotube Pro also correlates well with the South Coast Air District in their two months of field testing with three Atmotube Pros. I didnāt like the AQ scale that Atmotube chose, it has 100 for good air, and 0 for very polluted air, somewhat like school test results. So, Iām going with the more expensive AirVisual Pro, at $269, nearly $100 more than the Atmotube Pro. The Air Visual Pro does correlate well in South Coast Air District tests, just not quite as too at Atmotube Pro. Air Visual Pro also has a nice screen, that will make it easier for wife and I to use, and connects with nearby Air Sensors to show outdoor values. (I plan to use it indoors, but the indoor/outdoor comparison will be great.). Also, the Air Visual Pro tells you actions to take, based on indoor/outdoor values, like open or close windows, or turn on your air purifiers.
One final comment, there was a European competition for 34 AQ sensors. The AirVisual Pro+ tied for top awards. But I canāt find the ā+ā version anywhere, even though the competition results were published in January 2020. The + version included more sensors.
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Well, Iāve had my IQAir AirVisual Pro for a few days now. And I just love it.
It is mainly designed to be an indoor sensor, and thatās how Iām using it. (You can actually use it outdoors, but then you donāt get indoor readings.) You can monitor outdoor Air Quality by hooking it up to the internet. There are several local sensors that folks nearby me (just a couple of miles away) that are available, or thereās the local Air District that is also just 2 miles away. All of these are available using the IQAir AirVisual App. The App is free, and you can monitor any number of Air Quality sensors worldwide that you want. I highly recommend the App just for those reasons.
But where the Air Visual App really shines after you add the Air Visual Pro to the app. You can then monitor the outside Air Quality and inside air quality either on the app, or on the Air Visual Pro screen. It will tell you if the air quality is better inside or outside, and what actions to take, like open or shut windows, or donāt got outside, or outside activities are fine.
The Air Visual Pro displays CO2 and PM2.5. It also shows the US AQI readings. China AQI is another option.
The PM2.5 readings seem accurate, so I can use it to make decisions about closing up inside, and using air filters if needed. Itās really an amazing device.
The one drawback, is that its expensive. It costs, $269, but part of that cost is that is has its own screen. However, that makes it more usable, you can just look to see how the Air Quality is both inside and outside, and get the direct recommendations right one the device.
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